What is an alternative name for grandmother?

Becky - posted on 05/25/2009
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We have a Grandma, Mamaw, and a Grammy and a Nana. I am her "step" grandmother, but since I have been with my husband since the mom was four, I really do feel like she is part mine (and so does she). Since I don't want any confusion or to step on any toes I was wondering if anyone had any other suggestions?

Granny!! My Granny hated the name at first but ended up loving it. She got the name because my mom never knew what "Grandma" we were talking about so we call one just Grandma and picked Granny for the other. There was no longer a confusion on who we were talking about. My Granny passed away 1 year ago and there is something special about a Granny, she wasnt just a Grandma but a Granny. In the last 10 years (since I became a mom) she was known as either Great-Granny or Granny-Great. Its funny how your name changes as you get older, I rarely call my Mom Mom. She is Grandma and my Dad is always Papa. My sisters and brother never get called by their first names only either. Even when I call them on the phone I ask for Grandma, Papa, Aunt Hollee, etc.....

I would let her call you what ever she wants, in the end what ever is is you will love it because you love your grandkids.

My mother's first 2 grandchildren are not her actual biological grandchildren so she too was in search of an alternative name. I came up with Nini (pronouced like knee-knee) she loves it, children find it easy to say, so they say it early. And now that I have a child it works for her too. The older grandchildren are now 5 and 6, they love that no one else they know has a Nini. My daughter is quite imaginative and she changed my husband's parents grand names on her own, she calls my husband's mother Nama, also another suggestion.

My daughter started calling my mom Yaya. I just thought she didn't know how to properly say grandma. Come to find out, it actually means grandma in Greek ( and no, we are not Greek) The actual Greek spelling is yia-yia. But we just spell it yaya. It is adorable and all of my daughters little girlfriends call her yaya!

As I am the middle of our 5 generations, it too was a difficult decision as to what I wanted to be called. My maternal GM is called Nanny Nell by all youngsters, Gran as we got older. My mother and father are called Nanny and Poppy Hebbard (as coincidentally that is what we called our Paternal GP's). My Mother in law is Nana Jill and her parents were Nanna and Pa Kelly. While I didn't want Grandmother as I was only 39 at the time and it felt an 'older' name, I also felt it an honour to be part of the 5 generations, so we adopted Grandma. Hope this helps.

My 3 yr old calls her step grandmother "GG" when she started talking that was the only thing she could say that was near grandma, so now that she can talk, she says "GG" for step grandma and "Grandma" for my mother

My mum didnt want to be called nanna or grandma so i did a google search on names for grandmother in other languages.... I cant remember which language it is but my mum is called MIMA :) she loves it lol

My mum didnt want to be called nanna or grandma so i did a google search on names for grandmother in other languages.... I cant remember which language it is but my mum is called MIMA :) she loves it lol

What ever she wants to call you? might work. There are 3 grandmothers for all three of my grandchildren. The oldest of the 2 call their faternal grandma-grandma, bedause that is what she wants to be called. They call the step grandmother , grandma or mamaw, I am their maternal grandmother and they call me me-me-memaw- or grandma. I really don't mind.

When I was little we called the grandparents mom-mom and pop-pop.. Now that I have kids of my own they call my parents nana and papa, my husbands parents are grammy and grandpa, and then great grandma they call gigi. My kids pretty much chose the names and they have stuck..

My son has 3 grand-mothers.... Nannie, Grannie and Nannie Ann. My Nana is called Omi. The German name for Grand-Mother is Oma, but my son has called her Omi since he could talk. My Nana isn't German, but liked the name.

I asked my hubby's Step mother what she wanted to be called, of course she IS considered a real Mom, but it all depends on how close you all are if you can do this or not. Take care! And GOOD LUCK! = )

Growing up my Mother's Mom was Nann or Nannie to us kids. Once I had my son we batted around names for my Mom - she wasn't quite comfortable with grandmom and didn't want Nann or Nannie since it was what we called her mother so we did a variation. Nonnie.

Oh and I wanted to add - now that my son is older (he will be 18 this month) we try to wrap his brain around this.. "Mommy's Nannie was Nonnie's Mommy". :)